


A Knack for Trouble

by CoronaAustralis



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Coming Out, Complicated Relationships, Father-Son Relationship, Friendship, Harry Potter Next Generation, Loss of Innocence, M/M, Parent-Child Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-08-11 22:46:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7910545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoronaAustralis/pseuds/CoronaAustralis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After nearly destroying the world, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy and Albus Severus Potter have to return to school. They must lead normal lives, and avoid getting into any trouble. Seems easy enough for the two friends. What will happen if they decide to become more than friends?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Beginning

Platform nine and three-quarters was flooded with parents and students. First years said teary-eyed fairwells to anxious parents, who reminded them to write often and make sure they had everything they needed. Returning students ran up ahead, some already boarding the train with their friends. Albus stood between his mum and dad, tapping his foot impatiently. James and Lily stood a few feet away from their parents, both with the same sulky expression on their faces. 

"I still don't understand why we have to be here when it's Al's slimy Slytherin friend who is late!" complained James. 

Despite being of age, James sometimes acted like a whiny first year. 

"Albus happens to be your brother," Ginny snapped. "Ever since your second year at Hogwarts, you have run past us and boarded that train without even giving a second look to your parents. We're a family, and we are going to wait until Scorpius arrives because it is important to Albus." 

"Where are they?" asked Albus, craning his neck to allow himself to see through the crowd, but there was no sign of either of the two Malfoys anywhere. 

Albus knew from a letter Scorpius had sent him the day before that Draco Malfoy had rented a muggle car and decided to drive Scorpius to the train station himself, something about not being able to spend enough quality time together over the summer. It seemed silly to Albus, considering that Draco and Scorpius made up the entire Malfoy family, besides Scorpius's grandparents who had long since moved out. On the other hand, having been to Malfoy Manor he understood that one could potentially go weeks without seeing any of the other residents. 

"Why is waiting for Scorpius so important to you anyway?" asked Lily. 

"It just is, okay? Does their always have to be a reason for everything?" 

"Ooh Albus has a boyfriend, Albus has a boyfriend!" James made smooching noises, dancing around his younger brother and earning him an intense glare from Ginny. 

"Now, James, please be nice to your younger brother. It would be a shame if you had to get on the train wearing that pink sweater your Uncle Ron semi-knitted for you last Christmas." 

"Not that it would matter if Albus DID have a boyfriend," Harry said quickly. 

"Where is Al, anyway?" Lily looked around, confused. 

Al had dashed off when he saw Scorpius and his dad walking down the platform. He flung his arms around his friend, before stepping back and politely greeting Draco with a handshake. 

"Are you looking forward to the new school year, Albus?" Draco asked. 

"Yes, very much, Sir. I'm looking forward to your son spending hours trying to get me to understand all of that transfiguration stuff before the O.W.Ls." 

Draco nodded, and gave a small smile. "So long as you keep out of trouble." He then lowered his voice, looking around to make sure no one heard him say "And, if you do decide to pull a prank here and there, just be sure there are some Gryffindors nearby to take the fall for it!" 

"Not giving my son ideas, are you, Malfoy?" 

The two Malfoys and Albus turned and saw Harry and Ginny strolling towards them. Harry greeted Draco with a firm handshake and a clap on the back. Ginny hugged Draco and air kissed him. They had become good friends since their sons nearly threw them into a Voldemort-dominated reality where Draco was a puppet of the Augrey and Harry didn't even survive to have children. 

Draco grinned, and said "Oh you know I couldn't tell you, even if I was. Slytherin's honor! Besides, I think our sons had best be boarding the train!" 

Albus slid to his parents, giving them both a hug and kiss. "Promise you'll write?" he asked Ginny as they pulled apart from the tight hug they always shared before he boarded the train. 

"Every week, if you want," she replied, patting her son's shoulder. 

"Should we hug?" Draco asked his son after the Potters had said their goodbyes and Albus stood patiently waiting for Scorpius. 

Scorpius wrapped his arms around his dad. He had gotten used to hugging him from the constant flow of affection which had been bestowed upon him over the summer, although they had decided that they would ask each other before engaging in physical contact in public after Draco had come from behind and tried to hug his son in an open market in the Middle East, causing Scorpius to jump and knock over a jar of potion which set fire to the angry vendor's stall. 

Albus and Scorpius trotted towards the train, waving to their parents as they went. 

They were two of the last to board the train, and naturally had some difficulty finding an empty compartment. There were quite a few open seats in the car they were in, much to their surprise, but they wanted a private compartment. Albus stopped at one where a lone first year sat.

“Beat it!” he commanded, pointing his wand at the now trembling first year. “Unless of course you want to see the two of us passionately making love to one another” he added, gesturing to Scorpius. At that, the terrified first year got up and nearly ran out of the compartment.

“You shouldn’t have done that!” Scorpius protested. “Imagine what your mother would say?”

“Mum’s not here, is she?” asked Albus, with a smug look on her face. 

Scorpius rolled his eyes. “You didn’t actually mean what you said, did you? About making love? Because I love you, Albus, and I love being with you, but we’re not out to our families yet, and I don’t know if I’m ready for that just-”

“Shhhhhhh” Albus pressed his lips against Scorpius’. He had been waiting all summer to do that. The constant owling combined with Albus spending a week at Malfoy Manor had made them realize they wanted to be much more than friends. No one else knew, or so they thought. 

"Excuse me, but you two lovebirds might like to know that we'll be arriving at school soon. Best be changing into your robes."

The boys startled to see James standing in the aisle, looking in on them. They looked at each other, realizing their half naked bodies, and both turned a bright shade of red.  
"James- I- it's not what you think... we were... wrestling!" 

Scorpius nudged Albus hard. Wrestling? What was he thinking? 

"Don't worry," James assured them. It's not like I didn't know. People don't send their mates letters about what kind of clothes they wear."

His statement caused the boys to blush harder. James smiled, satisfied with being able to embarass his brother, and left them in the compartment. Scorpius changed into his robes, and they sat in silence the rest of the way. Albus felt himself drifting off to sleep. 

“Albus! Albus, wake up!” 

Albus awoke to Scorpius standing over him.  
“You’ve got to get ready! We’re almost at Hogwarts!”

Albus rubbed his eyes and reached out and grabbed Scorpius’ hand, planting a kiss on it before proceeding to change into his own robes. Scorpius giggled, but didn’t comment. He enjoyed being kissed by his boyfriend, and didn’t mind so much although he would have preferred if that particular kiss had been directed at his lips. Still, it wasn’t in his style to dwell on anything for long. 

“Come on!” he said, gesturing to Albus to follow him out of the compartment and onto the platform at Hogsmeade Station. 

The next few months went by rather quickly. The boys were swamped with work, and outside of the occasional secret snogging under the bleachers and in empty quarters, and sometimes even on their beds after casting Muffliato and a series of other protective charms to ensure their privacy. 

O.W.L.s were the main topic of conversation for the fifth years, and there was hardly any time for the constant chatter they were accustomed to having in previous years. 

Early one morning, the two boys had gotten out of bed and sat across from each other at a table in the Slytherine common room, scribbling away on pieces of parchment. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” asked Albus, who had shrunk down in his chair and would have loved to have been able to hide under his father’s invisibility cloak at that moment. 

Scorpius didn’t say anything for a moment, before he decided to say the first thing that came to mind.

“Voldemort was my great uncle or something.”

“Come again?”

“Voldemort was my-“

“No, I heard you, but how did you come to that conclusion?”

“Well, it’s simple. Bellatrix Lestrange was my father’s aunt. Since Delphi is her daughter, my father and Delphi are cousins. Voldemort was Delphi’s father. Therefore, Voldemort is my great uncle or something.”

Scorpius once again added the “or something”, which suggested to Albus that he didn’t really know what he was talking about. The only times Scorpius blabbed mindlessly like this were when there was something much deeper troubling him. It was a coping mechanism, Albus had decided. 

“Here, read mine.” Albus pushed the letter he had written on his piece of parchment towards Scorpius. 

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_Thanks for sending me those newly knit winter clothes. I appreciate having them, now that it’s November and the weather is really taking a turn for the worse here. I am looking forward to December, though. Scorpius and I always seem to have twice as much fun when it snows. It just makes things merrier, I suppose. Rose has been taking her O.W.L.’s very seriously. She was quite put off about the fact that she wasn’t allowed to take them early and had to wait until her fifth year, just like the rest of us. I do think she’ll survive, though. She’s being very dramatic about it._

_I’m really looking forward to having lunch with the two of you tomorrow. I don’t think I can remember the last time we did something that was just the three of us, without James and Lily. I am very excited. I’ll be at the Three Broomsticks at 12:30, like we agreed in our earlier letter. I've got some quite important news to share with you.  
Can’t wait to see you guys tomorrow. _

_Love,  
Albus _

“You’ve told them you’re looking forward to seeing them three times,” Scorpius pointed out. “To me, that practically spells out ‘mum, dad, I need to meet with you two alone three weeks before I come home for Christmas break so I can tell you I’m gay, and madly in love with my best mate’. Still, I think the letter is fine. You can mail it in the morning. Do you really think it’s necessary to tell them you’re meeting them at the Three Broomsticks, when you’ve already talked about it?”

“I don’t know.” Albus thought for a minute, then shrugged. “They’re my parents and they haven’t seen me in three months. It’s going to be mum who reads the letter, and she’s not going to overanalyse it. Also, I think I’m going to see how they react to the ‘mum, dad, I’m gay’ part before I move on to the ‘mum, dad, I’m madly in love with Voldemort's grand nephew or something’ part.”

“Fair enough,” said Scorpius, twirling his quill between his thumb and index finger. “Tell me what you think of mine!”

_Dear dad,_

_Sorry I haven't written in a while. Does the offer to go to London with you this weekend still stand? I miss you terribly but I've been so busy with all my books and school work. I think that I really need a break._

_Sincerely,  
Scorpius _

“’Sincerely’?” Albus grinned. “Who on Earth says ‘sincerely’ to their own dad?” 

“Your Scorpion King does!” He kissed Albus, meaning to pull away after a brief second, but Albus wrapped his arms around his waist and started to kiss down Scorpius’ neck, before Scorpius stopped him.

“We should send these before someone comes down here and sees us.” 

Albus nodded in agreement. The two boys headed up to the owlery and sent their letters to their respective households, before returning to the Great Hall for breakfast.  
The day went by at a normal pace, with nothing out of the ordinary. That night at the dinner table, Albus and Scorpius each received a response letter from their parents. Albus opened his first.

_Dear Albus,_

_We’re certainly looking forward to seeing you too. I expect you’ll have lots to tell us about your year so far. I’m definitely waiting for you to tell me about how popular you are with all the ladies in Slytherine. You’re a lot more like your brother than your dad and I give you credit for sometimes. Make sure you wear your hat and scarf. I don’t want you freezing to death on the walk to the Inn. I don’t reckon Madam Rosmerta will appreciate having to serve a boy with hypothermia, either.  
Hugs and kisses,_

_Mum_

Albus gulped. "ladies" meant that his parents 'knew' that he was straight. Scorpius reached over, and opened his mouth to say something, but Albus didn't allow him.

"No, Scorp, I don't want to talk about it. Open yours now, will you?" 

Scorpius obliged, and carefully slid out his father’s letter from the envelope. 

_  
Scorpius,_

_It's good to hear from you. I was beginning to wonder if you even remembered you had a father._

_And of course, the offer still stands, although I hope you realize that if you've gotten yourself into trouble there better be a good explanation as to why._

_Also, seriously? You're saying sincerely to your own dad?_

_Love,_

_Dad_

“I knew that it was weird that you said ‘sincerely’ to him!” Albus looked triumphant.

“Malfoys don’t say love. My mum told me she loved me all the time, but dad only started doing it after all that happened last year and he became friends with your dad. I’m still not used to it. He only sometimes says it, too, and it comes out rather awkwardly. It’s almost as weird as hugging him.” Scorpius stated this defensively, a look of guilt washing over his face. Should he have told his dad he loved him in the letter? He'd be seeing him over the weekend, and he could tell him then. Before he told him about the 'dad, I'm gay' part. 

“Your dad loves you, Scorpius. And he knows you love him.” Albus put a reassuring hand on Scorpius’ arm.

“I also love you, Albus.” 

“Not as much as I love you, Scorpius.”


	2. A Muddle

The day had finally come. Albus felt a shiver run down his spine. He knew his parents liked Scorpius, and that his dad felt terrible for trying to tear the two apart the previous year. Still, he had no idea whether they would accept the relationship. His fears were not unprecedented, either. 

_***Flashback***_

It was Christmas Eve, two years before Albus had started at Hogwarts. The entire family had crowded into the dining room in Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur's house. Most of the meal had consisted of going around the table listening to each adult share humor-filled stories from their time at Hogwarts, from Uncle George's firework antics to Professor Longbottom's first year Charms mishaps. As they worked on their dessert truffles, the conversation shifted to the future love interests of the children. 

"So, you kids must be looking forward to expanding your horizons in the lower department" said George, smirking. 

Harry shook his head. "Well, my children certainly won't be doing any of that. At least, not until they're sixteen. Whatever happens at Hogwarts after that... well, let's just say it's going to stay at Hogwarts."

"What would happen if I dated someone in Slytherin?" Rose spoke with her mouth full of truffles.

"Rose!" said Ron, imitating Molly's angry voice. "Tell me you're a lesbian, tell me you're pregnant, say that you have an STD, just don't ever, don't you ever even so much as think about becoming romantically involved with one of those nasty, scheming blokes." 

Hermione kicked her husband from under the table. "Ron, that's not polite talk. Children, don't follow in your father's example. Everyone deserves a fair chance, so long as you don't give it to them from the Slytherin common room". 

The family agreed that Hermione had somehow managed to take on a bit of Ron's sense of humor. Everyone sitting at the table laughed. That is, everyone except Albus. He stared straight on ahead, a strange feeling in his gut, although he did not yet know why. 

_***End Flashback***_

"Hey Al! Over here!" Ginny waved and motioned him to a table by the Inn's window where Harry was already drinking a bottle of something. 

Albus put on a smile and walked towards her. He tried his best to act natural, but he knew his hands would begin to tremble the moment he picked up the cup of tea his parents had kindly ordered for him. He sat down, now grinning stupidly and still not saying a word. His mum and dad smiled back at him, and Ginny placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Harry did the same on his other arm. 

"Albus, your mum and I want you to know how proud of you we are. We know that things were hard, especially last year, but we think you've really sorted yourself out. You seem to have it all figured out, and at the end of last year James said you were considering some blind dates with Griffindor girls-" 

"I'm seeing someone!" was all Albus managed to choke out, and he practically yelled it, causing a baby at the next table to start crying. Albus turned red and mouthed a quick apology to the mother, who had pulled out her wand and was creating light designs in the air in an attempt to soothe her infant. 

Harry and Ginny both looked taken aback by the outburst, but they quickly managed to pull themselves together. Harry raised an eyebrow. 

"You don't have to shout, Al. We can hear you just fine. You look pale, shall I get you a glass of water?" Ginny was stroking Albus's hair. She herself had been a little afraid when her son shouted his relationship status to the entire Inn, but she was much quicker to regain her motherly calmness. 

"N-no, thanks. I don't need water. I'm fine now." Beads of sweat were building on Albus's face. 

"It's alright, Al," said Harry. "We don't mind you having a girlfriend, at all. I'm proud of you, my Slytherin son, and I couldn't care less if you are going out with someone you fancy. The only think that worries me is how nervous and upset you seem. Is there something we should know?" 

"No, dad, there isn't. I was just nervous because it's my first love after..." he trailed off. The name "Delphi" lingered in the air, although no one spoke it. 

"Do we know this girl?" Harry interjected the silence. "Who are her parents? What house is she in? Have you been doing anything with her besides kissing?" Ginny put a hand on his arm, signaling to him that he needn't pressure to boy with questions, but Harry ignored her. "Albus, I'm your father and I need to know this stuff. It's important for me to be able to protect you. Uncle Ron would do the same for Hugo, I can promise you that." 

Albus fidgeted at the sound of Ron's name, remembering the dessert conversation the family had been having on his last Christmas Eve before Hogwarts. Then, out of nowhere, before he could even think about what he was saying, he started blurting out words. 

"She's lovely. She's in Hufflepuff. I'm pretty sure her parents are both muggles, but they seem as lovely as her although they know nothing of magic and she says they're still pretty uncomfortable around it. And no, we're not- we're not sleeping together." 

Albus placed a hand over his mouth. It was all he could do to keep his jaw from falling open. He had just lied to both his parents, with a straight face. He had made up an imaginary girlfriend to avoid telling them the truth, that he was gay and seeing his Slytherin best friend. How thick was he? He wondered how things were going with Scorpius, hoping that he, too hadn't been able to tell his father about their relationship. 

"It's embarrassing to talk about this stuff. Can we change the subject? Please?" Albus didn't want to have to lie any more to his parents. He already felt terrible, and wished he could take the words back, but it was as though someone had cast an enchantment and the truth was sealed behind his lips. 

Harry and Ginny agreed, but only after Harry said "Holidays coming up and we would like you to invite her and her parents to have dinner with us sometime before Christmas Eve. We can do it at the Sushi restaurant you like near St. James's Park." 

Albus nodded nervously and then slid down in his chair. He hoped that the floor would open and he would be sucked into a black hole in the ground so that he didn't have to face up to the mess he had driven himself into. 

Scorpius was enjoying an afternoon with his dad. They had gotten baguettes from a bakery known for its French breads and walked around the city, taking in the scenery and telling each other about how their lives had been over the past two months. As they were coming upon a fountain, Scorpius pulled Draco towards a bench opposite. 

"Is something wrong, Scorpius? Are you tired? Does something hurt?" Draco's face became occupied with parental concern as he studied his son. He had already lost Astoria, and since the time traveling situation wasn't going to take any chances with Scorpius. Scorpius merely shook his head. 

"Remember how after Mum died, you said I could talk to you? When you told me that even though she was the one who usually helped me with my troubles at school and gave me advice that you were going to support me no matter what?" 

Draco felt his eyes welling up with tears. Astoria had been everything to him, and he knew exactly what she meant to Scorpius. "Of course, Scorpius. Anything. I'm here for you." He placed an arm around him, and allowed Scorpius to lean his head against his shoulder. They remained like that for a while, in silence, just listening to the sound of the fountain. 

Scorpius buried his face into Draco's chest started sobbing. "I don't want you to start to see me differently, or for you to stop loving me because of it. I want to be a good son for you, but I can't because- because I love Albus!" 

Draco didn't speak. He sat up straighter, but didn't drop his arm from Scorpius' shoulders. 

"Dad," said Scorpius, "I'm gay." 

Draco wrapped his other arm around his son, and shook his head. "I love you, son," he said firmly. "There is nothing in this world that could ever change that. I will always love you, regardless of who you love. Your mother would have said the same thing. Scorpius, we never cared about having an heir. If you decided you wanted to change your name to 'Potter' and the Malfoy line died with me, I would still love you. Your mother and I wanted you, Scorpius. I still want you. Is there anything I can do for you?" 

Scorpius pulled back from the hug, smiling at Draco through the tears. "I love you too, Dad!" he said. "Albus also told his parents today, and we're going to start going out together, in public. Is that okay with you?" 

"Of course, son, anything that makes you happy is okay with me. I do have one request, though." He paused to look Scorpius directly in the eye while he continued. "Please don't *actually* change your name to 'Scorpius Potter'. I'd never hear the end of it!" He thought for a moment, and after giving it some thought, he quickly added, "Or at least, you could hyphenate or something... er, I don't know, just for your old man's sake!" Draco was trying to maintain his seriousness, but he was doing a poor job hiding the twitch of a smile appearing on his lips. 

Scorpius laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it! And, we haven't even thought that far ahead yet. Thank you for accepting me and Albus. I'm so happy I could shout that I'm gay from the rooftops" 

"You don't have to thank me for doing that. I will always accept you, and those you love. Albus is a good person, from a great family. I am so sorry that you had such a difficult time. I'm glad you don't have to hide now, too." 

Or so they thought. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here is the second chapter! Something is going to happen very soon...


	3. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco wants to talk to the Potters. Albus has other ideas. Scorpius gets lost in his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly shorter chapter. Even though the quarter has just started, I already have so much to do. The next chapter will be long and have a lot more to it.

"Do you think this one would be more becoming than that one over there?"

Ginny held up a brilliant green floor-length dress covered in sequins in one hand, and gestured to a pink and white floral gown with the other. Harry threw his hands in the air. The room was strewn with dresses and Ginny was constantly having to use an expansion charm to get them to fit in her closet. 

"I don't know! Honestly, Ginny, what woman expects her man to mentally _dress_ her?"

"The one you married, apparently!" she scoffed. "I think it was perfectly nice of Draco to ask us for tea. He hasn't done anything to entertain since Astoria passed away." 

"That's exactly what I'm worried about." Harry shifted uncomfortably. As Head of Magical Law Enforcement, he had grown accustomed to becoming extremely suspicious over any sort of unusual activity. Friend or not, Draco Malfoy sending a cordial invitation was unusual activity. 

"Oh, will you stop doing your job for a moment and just think that maybe sometimes people simply want to chat?" Ginny put down the dress in frustration. "Fine. I'll wear what I wore on your birthday, but don't complain tomorrow when you think my fabric is too scratchy to put your arm around me!" 

"What on earth could he want to chat about that would require he send this?" He waived a letter in her face. It had an illuminated letter "M" in the upper corner, and read:

_To Harry and Ginny Potter:_

_I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, request the presence of your company for tea at Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, at four o'clock. Come in your best and prepare for all there is to converse about. ___

___~ Draco_ _ _

"Put that down! You almost took my eye out. Look, he's probably just looking for some company. It's not like he hasn't made social calls before. Him being formal about it doesn't mean anything." Ginny took the letter from Harry's hands and folded it, before placing it into the pocket of her robes. 

"You're right. I'm being stupid. Draco and I hang out all the time and it's not weird at all. It's not like he's my future in-law or anything. He probably just wants to chat." 

__

____

For Albus, the entire day had been an overload. He urged to tell his parents the truth, to say that he had panicked and made up the story about the Hufflepuff girl without thinking and that he was sorry and ready to accept the consequences of his decision. It was his father's demeanor which held him back. 

Despite Harry having taken him to visit Cedric Diggory's grave and shared many personal details over the past few months, tension still remained. When Albus brought this 'girlfriend' into the picture, his father had for the first time spoken to him as an equal. Feelings of inadequacy were replaced by pride, and it was wonderful. 

Back at his dormitory, Albus Severus Potter, named for two of the greatest wizards in history and bearing the surname of the saviour of the wizarding world, was a complete disaster. He sat on his bed in the empty Slytherin common room with his knees hugged tightly against his chest, tears streaming down his face. Was this overwhelming guilt some form of the universe's punishment for lying? All of the boys in their year seemed to be out with their girlfriends, enjoying themselves. He, Albus, was meanwhile stuck waiting for his boyfriend whom his parents thought was a muggle-born Hufflepuff female. He went over the list of Hufflepuffs he knew, wondering if any three of them would be willing to have dinner at the Potter residence over Christmas break. As these thoughts rushed through his head, he felt as ridiculous as the idea. None of the Hufflepuffs would give him time of day. There had to be another way. Frustrated, he pulled out his wand and caused many trunks to fly open and belongings of his dorm mates to crash about the room. He grabbed a wooden box from Scorpius's dresser and banged it against his head before burying his face in his hands. 

Scorpius ran up the steps once he was inside the castle. He was filled with glee. He knew for fact that Albus's parents would accept the relationship with no hesitation. They were kind, open people who didn't feel the pressure of pureblooded obligation. That was the nice thing about having a family with multiple children. Sure, it did mean there would be arguments and trouble sharing, but in the end it took the pressure off of a single child who would otherwise have been expected to fulfill all his parents' dreams. Instead, the load was shared. If one child decided to move to a different continent and become a hermit, there were still others left who would marry, have children and organize for yearly New Year's celebrations. He half bounded into the Slytherin dungeon.

"Al, guess what? We're free! My dad said he loves me and that he supports us and- Al? Albus? Albus, look at me! Talk to me! What happened?" Scorpius raced across the dormitory and leaped onto the bed, settling beside the shivering, sobbing heap that was his boyfriend. He took the shorter boy's hand in his. "Al, please! Tell me what happened! I promise I will always love you!" The worst case scenarios were flying through Scorpius's mind. Had Harry become angry? Had he forbid them from seeing each other, again? No, he couldn't worry about that. Right now, the person whom he cared for most was in pain. He had to be strong for his boyfriend. 

"Scorpius!" exclaimed Albus, his voice hoarse. "I... I'm s-so... s-s-sorry..." 

He doubled over in pain. He couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from, but it was excruciating. _Focus on the problem, not the pain. The pain is just a side effect, if you talk about the problem, then you'll feel better._ , Ginny had told him when the neighbour boy had hit him with a baseball bat and called him a freak for making the ball travel accross the lawn without touching it. 

"My parents... I... so awful, Scorpius, I c-can't ever... them again..." 

Albus lost the ability to speak. His eyes were red and swollen, and he felt indescribably ill. His chest was throbbing. He gasped for air and struggled to find words. 

"Scorpius- I think- heart attack!" Albus was panting, his entire body shivering violently.

"Al, are you okay, what- Merlin! That can't be good!" Scorpius's eyes widened. "Al, can you walk? We have to get you to the hospital wing, now! No, Al, no, please stand up!" 

After a few moments Albus managed to choke out "No hospital please Scorpius... d-d-don't deserve... parents... r-r r-t-trust broken... so sorry!" His body jerked one last time, and then he went limp. 

"Albus Severus Potter, say something this instance!" Scorpius shook his friend. He had experienced life without him once in another version of reality, and couldn't stand the thought of losing him again. What was it he had said before he entered this trans-like state? Something about his parents... and... rust? No, not rust. Trust! He had said something about trust! Could it really be that Harry and Ginny Potter couldn't be trusted? They seemed like such good people. Ginny especially, hadn't she been the only one in all the wizarding world to reach out to Scorpius's dad when his mum had died? 

"Albus, what do I do? Please wake up and tell me how I can help you!" He couldn't hold back the tears. The Malfoy ability to hide emotions had clearly missed a generation. 

A million thoughts were running through Scorpius's head. Albus was too young and healthy to be having a heart attack. Had his parents hurt him? Impossible, the loved him. Maybe it was just one of James' pranks? It had to be. Still, Scorpius couldn't shake what his friend had said. He looked down at his friend's body, and pressed his ear against his chest. His heart was beating, that was good. At least he wasn't dead. It didn't matter, he thought, the most important thing was to help Albus. Could he slip into the potions cupboard unnoticed and swipe something? No, too risky. Feeding Albus something while he was unconscious which was meant to cure a conditiom he didn't have could prove far more deadly than beneficial, and getting caught might put his friend in danger. He would need a second opinion from someone smarter than him. Rose might do, although she would hardly be able to keep quiet. Even if he managed to swear her to secrecy without using the Imperius Curse, she would never steal from school and certainly couldn't afford the equipment necessary to treat Albus on her own. He needed someone who was trustworthy, wealthy, and skilled in potions. The only thing which would compel someone to go through with such a task would be if it were for their own child.

Scorpius heard a rustling and without thinking, pulled out his wand and with a wave the mess Albus had made was gone. He scooped up Albus in his arms, carried him to the fireplace and jumped in, tossing in a handful of floo powder and calling out "Malfoy Manor!"


	4. Anxiety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scorpius goes to Malfoy Manor with Albus. The Potters are coming over for tea tomorrow.

There was a crash in the sitting room, and Draco nearly jumped out of his skin. He pulled his wand from his cloak and rushed to the scene. 

He stood in the doorway, wand at the ready to disarm the intruder. "Whoever you are, identify yourself! I swear you'll regret coming here!" he sneered, the well-known hardened expression of the Malfoys plastered on his face. 

"Ouch, I think I bruised my neck!" Scorpius cried, rubbing the sore spot just below his scruffy hair. 

Slowly, he stood up with his legs wobbling. His eyes were watering from the dust particles which had flown in from the ashes. Now he knew why it was discouraged for two people to travel via the floo network, let alone one person carrying another person of greater or equal weight. 

"Son?!!" Draco gaped, "What in the name of Salazar Slytherin are you... Is that Albus?!!" The man's jaw fell wide open at the sight of the crumpled body lying at Scorpius's feet. 

Scorpius's eyes widened. Right, Albus. He had forgotten all about the reason he even came to Malfoy Manor, a decision he already regret. He didn't know where to begin. 

"You have some serious explaining to do, young man!" Draco said once he had collected himself from the shock. "For the love of Merlin, what happened?" 

"Dad, you've got to help him!" Scorpius begged. "Look, I know we've gotten into trouble before, but it's not what you think. I had just returned to the dorm from our day in London and he was already there. He was sweating and breathing heavily, like he was having a heart attack. He even said he thought he was having a heart attack, but it can't have been a heart attack because I've read about them. He's too young to have had one for no reason, and he has a healthy lifestyle. I think he's been cursed, Dad! I tried to get him to tell me something, anything, but he just fainted." 

"Slow down, son, he hasn't fainted. It looks to me like he's been petrified. There was definitely magic involved, and it's easy enough to figure out the spell that was used on him once I have him lying on his back. A quick plant-based remedy should fix him up." 

Draco lifted Albus into his arms and carried him to the sofa. While setting him down, he noticed the boy's body temperature rising rapidly. Not wanting to alarm his son, he took a breath in and said with a kind voice, "Scorpius, why don't you go fetch a towel for his forehead. Once you're done with that, send an owl to the Potters asking them to meet us at St. Mungo's. I want to have him looked over by a professional. It's been a few years since I've made one of these potions and I don't want to risk doing anything wrong." 

Scorpius froze. His dad had a lot of pride and hated being wrong. When Scorpius was younger, he saw that he sometimes argued with guests at parties to try and justify why his mistakes were deliberate. The only time he would behave otherwise was when he knew something was seriously the matter. He had been cautious and humble in Astoria's last days, admitting to Scorpius that he didn't know a lot of things and that he wasn't going to jump to any conclusions without doing more research and consulting with the healers constantly. 

"Scorpius? Didn't you hear me? I told you to go get a cloth and then write Harry and Ginny!" Draco waved his hand in the air. 

"Oh right. Er, sorry, Dad." Scorpius blushed. He felt embarassed that he had zoned out, and scolded himself for bringing the memories of his mum's death back into his already preoccupied mind. 

"What is it, son?" Draco asked, scanning Scorpius's face for clues as to what was bothering him. 

"It's just... I- I don't think we should tell Mr. and Mrs. Potter about this. At least not yet, until we find out what happened to Al?" He looked at his dad with pleading eyes. It had taken him a while to form the words. He felt relieved when he found out he did have the courage to say them. 

Draco sucked in his cheeks. "I'm sorry, Scorpius," he apologized, "I get that you love Albus and are worried about him, I really do. I promise neither of you are in trouble, but I can't keep this from his parents. They need to sign a form in order for him to be admitted to St. Mungo's. Besides, if he did anything he wasn't supposed to, which you don't know he did but if he did, I'm sure that the Potters' first priority is still going to be making sure he is healthy and gets the right amount of treatment." 

"Couldn't you sign it and say he's my cousin or something?" Scorpius asked hopefully. "They wouldn't have to know he's a Potter. He could be a distant relative from mum's side! She had black hair, I'm sure we'd be able to pull it off without Al's parents finding out and getting angry!" 

"Look, son," explained Draco, "I think we know that Malfoys are a lot tougher than Potters when it comes to discipline, and I'm not angry at all." He added honestly, "I am worried about your boyfriend here, though, and he does need medical attention. Will you do as I say?" 

"Dad, please, just hear me out okay?" Scorpius collapsed against Draco in a heap of despair. His dad patted his back with his hand, trying to be of some comfort to the utterly distraught adolescent boy. 

"I'm listening. Go on and tell me what you're on about," he said. 

"Its j-j-just that I d-don't know h-how he got like this. H-he told his parents we were t-together at the same time that I told you, a-a-and then h-h-he c-came back and said he thought he was having a heart attack." 

Scorpius let out a single sob and hid his face in Draco's shoulder, sniffling and clutching to him. 

Draco prayed that he was able to keep his voice from breaking. "Did he say anything about what might have gone down before you met hiim in the dorm? Maybe he mentioned a name you didn't recognize, or a strange place?" he added.

Scorpius thought for a minute, trying to figure out how to put it all into words. "I didn't really understand. He was talking about his parents, he said. He said they had broken his trust, but he didn't say how and the only thing he did out of the ordinary was tell them about us. Dad, what if they're the ones who did this to him?"

Draco sighed. He hated seeing his only son afraid. Still, he had known Harry and Ginny for most of their lives and felt something didn't add up. Sure, they hadn't exactly gotten along in school, and he thought they were a couple of stuck up Griffindors, but as adults and parents he grew great respect for the couple. 

"Alright," he decided, after some thought, "I'll have a healer come to the manor. It'll be someone we can trust who will take a look at him and find out what he needs. Once that happens, I will contact his parents, but only after the healer has a chance to treat him. He can stay here at the manor until we figure this out." 

Scorpius gave his father a thankful nod, and scurried off into the kitchen to fetch the washcloth for Albus's forehead. Meanwhile, Draco took a handful of floo powder and threw it into the fireplace.

"Greengrass Cottage, Surrey!" 

The fireplace roared, and the face of a young twenty-something woman appeared. She blinked, looking around the room as if it was the last place she expected to be. Draco looked just as surprised to see her. 

"Uncle Draco!" she exclaimed. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" 

She was a lean woman, with jet black hair and shining eyes, the spitting image of Astoria. After losing his wife, it had become too hard for Draco. It pained him to look into his niece's eyes, because she reminder him so much of the love of his life. True, he wasn't too fond of his sister in-law, Daphne, who looked even more like Astoria than her daughter, but Camellia Greengrass couldn't be blamed for her mother. For years, he was unaware of her existance, since Daphne was never married and there had been no boyfriends to speak of. Yet, at his wedding, Daphne sat with her parents and a girl who turned out to be Camellia, and per Astoria's request he didn't press for details. When the subject was brought up again, Astoria admitted she didn't know much about Camellia's father except that he was a foreign wizard from Durmstrang Daphne had met while holidaying at a dragon resort in Romania. 

"Camellia, I need a favour from you," Draco said coolly while trying to mask the worry in his voice. 

"What's the matter?" She paused and her eyes flickered around the room until she noticed Albus lying on the sofa. "Oh no- is Scorpius...?" 

Draco shook his head quickly. "No, Scorpius is fine. It's his boyfriend, Albus, and we're not sure what happened. I know you're still in training, but you're the only healer in the family..." 

Camellia's brow furrowed when Draco said "boyfriend" but she didn't put too much thought into it. She hadn't spent much time with the Malfoys, seeing as they had gone into hiding around the time she went off to Hogwarts. Still, she thought her mother would at least have mentioned to her that her little cousin was gay. She didn't have much time to think about it, though, because Draco interrupted. 

"Camellia, I know it's a bit to take in, but would you step through and take a look at him?" he asked, his old Malfoy impatience slipping in. 

"I'll be there in a minute, Uncle. I have some water boiling and I need to turn that off." 

With that, she was gone, and after a few minutes of waiting, she tumbled out of the fireplace. "Hi Uncle Draco- Oh, hello, nice to see you again, Scorp! My, you've grown. You're looking more like your father each time I see you! Now then, let me take a look at the poor boy."

Scorpius had resumed his post sitting beside Albus. He watched as Camellia drew her wand and waved it over Albus's entire body, sending golden sparks flying around the room. He rocked back and forth nervously. 

"So?" he asked expectantly, "What's wrong with him?" 

"I have good news and bad news," she declared. "The good news is that he didn't have a heart attack. The bad news is that what you saw was most likely an anxiety attack. They happen in muggles all the time and aren't fatal, just a mental issue. Psychological issues are much more deadly to us, however, which is why when a witch or wizard goes mad, they can't just take a few pills regularly and keep it together like the muggles." 

Scorpius looked crestfallen. In a soft voice, nearly inaudible, he asked, "Camellia, is Al going mad?" 

Draco moved over from beside the fireplace and sat down on the arm of the sofa beside Scorpius and placed a hand on his shoulder. 

Camellia shook her head no. "Oh dear, no, I didn't mean to frighten you. What I'm trying to say is that he had a reaction to the anxiety attack. It's like going into shock, only it's driven by magic. He'll come around in a few hours, but you need to make sure he is healthy and happy." 

"I know exactly how to make him happy," Scorpius beamed. 

She wagged her finger at Scorpius. "I'm serious, Scorp. If he has another episode, he risks falling into a permanent vegetative state."


	5. Coming Clean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment everyone has been waiting for- Harry and Ginny find out their youngest son is gay. Harry is devastated, but not for the reason they think at first. More shocking news is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it has taken me this long to roll out another chapter. From now on, I've decided I am going to post a chapter every Sunday at minimum, until I finish the story.

"Where am I?" Albus blinked his eyes. He tried to get up but ended up falling back against the pillow. 

"Not so fast. Lie still." Camellia offered him a glass. "Drink this," she said. "It will make you feel better. My name is Camellia Greengrass. I'm Draco's niece and Scorp's- I mean Scorpius's cousin. I'm here to help."

"B-but what?" Albus looked around the room. The fireplace, the fancy decor and the paintings on the wall all looked familiar. 

"Al! Hi Al! You're up!" Scorpius beamed. Behind him, Draco looked tired and relieved. 

"You gave us quite the scare there, Albus!" 

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Malfoy!" his face paled. "My parents, are they-"

"Shh, you mustn't do anything to get yourself worked up. This is really important, Albus. Right now your health is our first and foremost priority and part of making sure you remain healthy is by keeping you calm." Camellia summoned a bottle of calming draught. Undoing the lid, she instructed him to lean back against the sofa as she tipped it into his mouth. Within moments, Albus had taken on a new, much more composed expression. 

"Are you ready to talk now?" she asked, once he had stilled completely and his breathing slowed to a normal pace. Albus nodded. 

"Scorpius, I am so sorry," he whispered, "I don't know why I did it. I was scared and I told my parents that I was dating a girl- One who didn't even exist. It was cowardly but I just wanted them to be proud of me after Delphi and I didn't mean to but it- it just slipped out. I understand if you want to break up with me, I am just so horrible. I broke your trust, and my parents'. I don't expect I deserve anyone." 

He looked up at Scorpius, expecting his boyfriend to be angry and to break up with him on the spot, but Scorpius just looked like he was about to burst into tears. He buried his face into his hands and let out a sob. Albus looked up helplessly while Draco took a step forward to place a hand on his son's shoulder. He didn't say anything. 

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm sorry for barging into your house like this, and for you having to watch over me while I was out. I'm so useless and stupid, I'm sorry."

Draco shook his head sadly, his hand still circling against Scorpius's back, who was sobbing and now leaning against him for support. "I'm sorry, Al! After I told my Dad, I just felt so free. Dad acc- accepted us and I thought that your time with your parents would've been the same. I should've sat down and listened. I love you, Albus. I would never break up with you, no matter what you do." He hiccuped. 

"I think it's time we told your parents about this, Albus," Draco said. Camellia nodded in agreement. Both adults had looks of pure compassion on their faces. Albus found this somewhat comforting, though he was definitely not comfortable enough to say anything back. All he wanted was some time alone with Scorpius.

"Uncle Draco and I'll send them a letter, don't worry," Camellia assured him, as if she had read his thoughts exactly. She added, "You boys take some time to talk." They both exited the room. Scorpius wiped away his tears. 

"I was so worried about you, Al! I'm just glad you're okay. Do you want to talk?" He sat down on the sofa as well, his head against the dark haired boy's chest.

Albus shook his head vehemently. He needed time. He wished he could just spill out everything onto the table, but that wasn't going to happen. He was glad that Scorpius didn't question his silence and just lay there instead. After a half hour or so, Camellia and Draco reentered. 

"It's alright, boys. We told Albus's parents you both have been here and are perfectly safe. I explained briefly what had happened, but we decided not to give them details about why or how. I reckon they'll want to hear it directly, anyway. They'll be coming over shortly." Draco sat in an arm chair.

When Harry and Ginny arrived, Albus and Scorpius were both upstairs in Scorpius's bedroom, pouring over books and stuffing their faces with chocolate frogs, beans, and oddly delicious, funny-looking confections from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. 

Downstairs, a house elf served tea and biscuits to the four adults and disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

"Thank you both for coming. The boys are upstairs, I've got the house elves keeping an eye on them and they're just reading. I thought it best to start the evening with an adult discussion and skip the formalities. What say you?" He raised an eyebrow at the couple, but it was quite obvious which of the two he was hinting towards. 

Harry shifted in his chair uncomfortably. Something about Draco's behavior didn't sit well with the Head od Magical Law Enforcement. Sure, they were friends now, but he was friends with the new Draco. Not the old Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin from school he thought was the perfect example of a git. And the middle-aged man in the seat opposit him looked a lot like the latter. Each minute, his Auror instincts told him something was wrong. Why was Draco wearing his stone-cold, emotionless Malfoy mask? He suddenly wanted to shout, yell, scream, to tell Malfoy and the young woman sitting next to him he didn't care for either one of their opinions and demand to see Albus with his own eyes. Which brought another question. Who was she? She bore a striking resemblance to Astoria, but she was too young to be Daphne, and as far as he knew, neither Greengrass sister had procured any female children. 

"Harry, for Godric's sake, please put your wand away!"

Ginny screeched. 

"Spit it out, Malfoy! Just because we're friends doesn't mean I won't annihilate you if something's happened to my son! Why is he here, anyway? How come he left school?" Harry growled. 

Draco ran his fingerd through his hair. "It seems our sons are more than friends, if you know what I mean."

"What did you do to my Albus, Malfoy?" Harry's knuckles were white from clenching his fists. Ginny grabbed his hands and was trying to pry them open. 

"I've done nothing. Our sons are gay and they love each other, and I won't let you near either of them until I know you're okay with this and you aren't going to cause any more damage. Excuse my bluntness, but Albus had a panic attack, and that caused a chemical reaction with his magic and he nearly lost his life."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. This had to be one of Malfoy's games. What was he playing at? Albus had a girlfriend. A nice, normal, muggleborn, Hufflepuff girlfriend with muggle parents who were slowly getting used to the idea of magic. He wasn't gay. Harry would know if his son was gay. 

"Harry, we'd better call Hermione when we get home. She's been waiting to talk to you until Albus was out of the closet," Ginny mused, absentmindedly. Harry's jaw dropped.

"You knew? And Hermione? Why the bloody Merlin didn't anyone think to tell me? Draco Malfoy knew my son was a little sissy before I did. Merlin!" 

Camellia stretched out her arms and let out a small sigh. "You know, calling him derogatory slurs won't change anything. So, your son likes his best friend. There are lots of macho males who are gay. There's no rule about how a gay person is supposed to act or dress." 

Harry buried his face into his hands. A muffled sob escaped. Ginny placed a hand on his back. She moved it up and down, caressing him between his neck and lower spine. "There, there, darling. I know why you're upset, but it's not the end of the world. As far as we know, Lily is capable, and modern medicine is advanced! they'll find a way, our boys!" 

"Sorry, what? Am I missing something, Potters?" Draco looked between the two of them, demanding information. 

Camellia pressed her lips together and sadly tilted her head to the side. "Cadmus's Bane." Her words came out as a shaky whisper. 

Draco stared, even more confused.

"How did you know? I didn't even find out until James..." Harry was bewildered.

Ginny started rubbing his back again. "James had a quidditch accident two years ago. He got hit in the head by a bludger, and a few days later, he started complaining about dizziness. Harry thought it might be a concussion, so we took him to St. Mungo's, where they told us-"

"They said it was Cadmus's Bane," Harry finished. "According to a legend, my ancestor, Cadmus Peverell, was the owner of the resurrection stone- one of the Deathly Hallows. He had the ability to bring back the dead, but unbeknownst to him, it came at the cost of his ability to create life. The dead don't belong with the living, you see. Because his fiancé died in childbirth, Cadmus already had a son and it didn't matter, but the stone rendered him infertile. It didn't get passed down since he didn't pass the stone down to his son, but the curse remained in his bloodline. I activated it when I mastered the Deathly Hallows before I killed Voldemort. When he tried to kill me, my body went into preservation mode and switched off the curse, but it reactivated the first time I had a child. Only, it didn't activate in me."

"It activated in him. James can't have kids," Draco concluded. Harry nodded grimly. 

"I'd like to see Albus," Harry declared. Camellia stood and dusted herself off. "I'll run and fetch him!" Ginny smiled appreciatively. She was tired. It pained her to think about James's condition. He had rightfully been more upset than anyone, and by his choice, no one, save Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron knew about it. 

 

Albus flipped through the book he was reading and found himself glazing over the words. Unlike Scorpius, he thought reading was a chore and not at all cathartic. He was relieved to see Camellia come in. 

"10 more minutes!" grumbled Scorpius, not taking his eyes off his book. Albus chuckled. Scorpius never got up from reading before he finished the entire book. He hated unfinished stories. 

"Not much of a reader, huh, Albus?" Albus shook his head hard. "I sometimes wish I read more when I was a child so I could do better in school." Camellia grinned. 

"Kind of a Monday morning quarterback statement, don't you think?" 

Albus wrinkled his forhead. Quarterback was a position in American football. How did Camellia know about that? And the way she rolled her "r" as she said the first part of that word...

 

"This was Astoria's ancestral home, where she and Daphne grew up."

Ginny received an urgent note from the Daily Prophet saying they needed to cover a the Irish quidditch captain's untimely resignation for the upcoming Ireland vs. Switzerland match. Draco had gotten out an old photo Album from where Astoria kept them in the kitchen and was showing Harry one of pictures Astoria took before they were married. There were some of her parents, and of Daphne, but mainly they were of inanimate objects. It amazed Draco, the way his late wife could bring life to something as mundane and simple as an empty watering can. He was nearing the end of the book.

"Astoria loved this one. It was one of her favorites. She took it the day before Camellia was born. Just her and Daphne, going for a long walk in the garden. They had some differences, but they were close and wouldn't let that get between them."

Harry thought of his mum and Petunia, and wondered what his life would have been like if his aunt had been a part of his life from the start. She raised him, but maybe, just maybe Vernon and Dudley would have been kinder if things weren't so bad between Petunia and her sister. He squinted at the picture. Indeed, there was something appealing about the image he saw. Daphne was holding out her skirt from both sides and looking down at the ground with a bright smile on her face. The lighting and the movement complimented eachother perfectly, but something was wrong. He glanced down below her chest. Her hands were a few inches away from her, and she was playing with her wedding ring. 

"Draco," he said, uneasily. "You said this was a day before she had Camellia? And she never married or had any long-term relationship with the father or anyone else, even though she has what looks to me like a wedding ring and an engagement ring on her finger?" 

"I know tonnes of people who wear gold and diamond rings all the time for no reason at all, other than they can afford it." He shrugged nonchalantly. "What?" he asked, noticing the mix of fear, worry and anger. Harry looked like he might be sick. 

"Draco, look at the photograph. She's not pregnant."

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know when I'm going to be updating this story. I'm going to be extremely busy with college and such, so I'll try to do so as often as possible but can't commit to any sort of schedule. Hope you enjoy it!


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